Homemade Peanut Butter

I have never tried to make homemade peanut butter in the past. Last week the kiddos were harassing me as they were out of peanut butter. Gasp! I can not believe my pantry was out of peanut butter. I do not recall ever running low on peanut butter since I have had children. I knew I had a few jars of peanuts in the pantry and decided to make our own. I may just be hooked now as having the real natural thing freshly crushed just may be tasty from time to time with a nice slice of soft bread.

Making homemade peanut butter is so simple it’s kind of crazy, ha ha! Just toss peanuts (any kind roasted, unroasted, etc) into the food processor and grind until you have the consistency you like. I personally love a crunchy peanut butter but the kids like creamy. You can add in a bit of additional oil if you like or add honey for sweetness (the kids liked the honey addition) or extra salt to taste.

INGREDIENTS
Peanuts
Honey (optional)
Salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place in food processor and run for about a minute and scrape down sides if necessary. Then process for another 3-4 minutes or until peanut butter has reached desired consistency. Note the peanuts will go through stages of consistency.
If using salted peanuts, you do not need to add any extra salt.
You can add honey if you want a little extra sweetness. If so, add about 1 teaspoon per cup of peanuts.
1 cup of peanuts yields a little over 1/2 cup of peanut butter.

I am usually a store bought peanut butter person. I grew up on Jif and it has always been my favorite. Since being budget conscious, I will usually buy what I find with a coupon and sale. I really liked this homemade peanut butter and may just use it to do some baking.